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The Author

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami was born Abhay Charan De on September 1, 1896
in Calcutta. In 1920 he finished his education, majoring in philosophy, English, and
economics, at the University of Calcutta. Because of his involvement in Gandhi’s
national non-cooperation movement, however, he rejected any formal diploma.
Soon afterward Abhay Charan De took up the duties of manager of a large chemical
concern. Then, in 1922, he met His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhakti Siddhanta
Saraswati Goswami Maharaj, the founder of 64 Goudiya Vaishnava Maths in India,
Berlin, and London. His Divine Grace liked this educated young man and injected
in him the idea of preaching Lord Chaitanya’s message all over the world.

At Allahabad in 1933, Abhay Charan De was formally initiated, and in 1936,
just days before His Divine Grace’s departure from this mortal world, he was specifi-
cally ordered to spread Krishna Consciousness in the English language and to the
West.

Thus, Back To Godhead magazine was started in 1944 with Abhay Charan De
serving as editor-in-chief. Back To Godhead is now being published monthly in
America by his American disciples.

The Goudiya Vaishnava Society recognised him as BHAKTIVEDANTA in
1947. In 1954 he became Vanaprastha, retired from family life. In 1959 he took
Sannyasa, the renounced order of spiritual life and is now known as A. C. Bhakti-
vedanta Swami.

In September 1965, at the advanced age of 70, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
arrived in New York City to fulfil his master’s sacred mission. Immediately, young
Americans were attracted to him, and in July 1966, the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness was formally incorporated.

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is the author of the remarkable Bhagavad-Gita As It Is,
